part iV
When I was a young winemaking interne, I’d never seen someone tasting berries in such a way! At the time, Nadine Gublin was the vintner at Domaine Jacques Prieur and Maison Antonin Rodet. Both elaborated wines from Cote de Nuits to Cote de Beaune, through to Southern Burgundy (Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais).
Nadine used to taste absolutely everything: appellations, terroirs and all the climats. With this approach to Burgundy, a mere grape berry became all of a sudden, something potentially capable of producing a district or parcel wine.
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At Domaine de l’Arlot, next to Nuits Saint-Georges, Jean-Pierre de Smet placed trust in me, when I still lacked experience, it was only my second harvest! He entrusted me with the production of the white wines from A to Z! In view of deciding upon the day’s extraction protocol, which he usually did each morning on his own, Jean-Pierre shared all of Pinot Noir tastings with me. Lodged at the estate, there was also a place for me at the dinner table, with family members, friends, and sommeliers who would eat there each evening. Someone would be designated to pick a bottle from the wine cellar for a blind tasting.
The first question was always the same: “New World or Old World?”
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Jean-Pierre de Smet and Daniel Cathiard were friends. I would never have ended up at Chateau Smith Haut-Lafitte without being recommended by him. I worked with enthusiasm and commitment, as the opportunity of assisting Michel Rolland when he blended the precious 2000 vintage was a one-in-a-lifetime experience! At Smith-Haut-Lafitte I was fully introduced to the art of blending Bordeaux wine, unique in the world. I understood that without blending, Bordeaux wouldn’t be Bordeaux, that it constituted its history and identity. I learnt how to elaborate wine according to rules. When perfectly well-respected upstream of vine-growing and winemaking, they make perfect sense at the time of blending.
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I met Stéphane at Smith Haut-Lafitte. He was one of the estate’s consultants and had a rebellious and emancipated side, with a neither god nor master attitude, that stood out in
Bordeaux! When he asked me to join him for a while, I didn’t hesitate for a single second. Stéphane impressed me, through his legitimacy worldwide, but also his innate intelligence with regard to vine-growing and winemaking and his life in the fast lane! For me, he was a big brother to whom I owe a passion for consulting, which has never left me.
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Michel recruited me to take charge of Domaine Ferraton Père & fils. By doing so, he allowed me to manage a vineyard on my own for the very first time. This is where I initially imagined the reorganization of all the vineyard plots. Up until 2010, I acted as Managing Director for Ferraton Père & Fils. These years offered me the time to set a strategy to develop and enhance its image. Michel also asked me to supervise winemaking in Australia and grape sourcing for the northern Cotes du Rhone appellations. For this premium merchant selection, I also created my very first range of place name wines.
In October 2004, after my first harvest during a car trip, he suggested that I become Technical Director at Maison Chapoutier, for all of the house’s vineyards in France and abroad. I’d just turned 29! With Michel Chapoutier, I understood essential things: the nobility of a certain type of merchant business along the lines of the great wine houses; the highly accurate profession of winemaker-trader; the audacity of always finding a solution and of charging forward; biodynamic growing as identity and ecology markers.
These fundamentals have remained with me ever since.
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Over the past 15 years, I’ve assisted this family estate with a committed team from the very start. In this region brutally affected by global warming, we’ve worked together to convert the vineyard over to organic growing. Thanks to adaptation efforts, at once meticulous and specific, we sowed the first crops in view of restructuring the soils. As a result they became less dry during the summertime, as they increased their capacity to retain moisture and to therefore reduce the effect of water stress on the vines.
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Antoine Leccia, who was in charge of Advini, triggered everything off with Laroche, an independent entity that was part of the group. While being an estate with high quality requirements, the latter needed a new vision. Antoine offered me the opportunity of being “the wine man” at Laroche. With him, I learnt, how to have clear and well-structured guidelines, whilst retaining full autonomy. I understood that figures can largely contribute to the success of a project. My multifaceted role also allowed me to work with prescribers, from the media through to the on-trade. This downstream of production experience was unbelievably enriching when it comes to understanding how to build brand notoriety and to enhance a wine’s sales by responding to customer expectations and through product positioning.
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With Delphine, I created from start to finish, our very own house dedicated to Irancy, drawing inspiration from those which have perpetuated the prestige of Burgundy wines, but in a much more intimate way! Maison de la Chapelle is currently our home and place for sharing. “Homemade”, this simple expression holds true meaning for us.
A place to work and to reflect, Maison de la Chapelle is also a laboratory where knowledge-apprenticeship is constantly on-the-go.
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The new generation - Pierre Demets and his wife Mathilde - wanted to undertake radical changes when they took over the family estate. Together, we’ve established an agro-ecological itinerary leading to a complete break with conventional practices; we’ve focused on winemaking starting from the concept of location by elaborating base wines with limited oenological inputs. In 2022 at the Wine Paris show, Pierre and Mathilde presented a new selection of Champagnes, boasting impressive purity and energy. The aptly named Intransigeance brand reflects Pierre’s commitments and convictions. When it comes to the parcel selection approach, it’s expressed by two district wines - "Les Fins" and "Forêt".
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Everything started with the slightly crazy project of this family, who wanted to absolutely rescue a vineyard dating back to the 1970s from inevitable bankruptcy and abandonment.
Bolstered by her unwavering attachment to organic growing, Julia Joyandet cultivates this unique vineyard according to its unique terroir. In less than 4 years, its wines unquestionably bear its mark. Sold by the very best restaurants and wine stores, the selection quickly made inroads at home and abroad.
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